Britain’s Got Talent has been caught up in a fresh “fix” controversy as observant fans noticed an act that Simon Cowell claimed to be unfamiliar with.
During the recent episode, viewers were left feeling queasy by the performance of Auzzy Blood, a gothic cabaret stuntman who performed daring feats such as inserting a large screw through his mouth and nose, and suspending himself in the air using a hook through his jaw.
Judge Alesha Dixon buzzed the act, admitting she “couldn’t watch it”, while some viewers expressed their desire to lodge complaints with Ofcom.
Despite this, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli voted for him to continue in the competition, with Simon appearing particularly captivated by his macabre routine.
However, fans of the global franchise were puzzled by Simon‘s apparent lack of recognition of Auzzy, given his previous appearances on the show. Auzzy Blood, whose real name is Austin Punton, is a Las Vegas-based cabaret performer who first graced the stage of America’s Got Talent in 2022.
He introduced himself as “a sideshow freak who likes to endanger his life for other people’s entertainment and to show people they can truly accomplish anything you put your mind to.”
During his audition, Auzzy was seen swallowing several knives and hammering one into his mouth with a steel beam before inviting judge Howie Mandel to participate in his act by pushing one down his throat. He successfully advanced to the next round but was eliminated during that season’s wildcard round.
Auzzy took his performance on BGT to a chilling level, embracing an ominous persona complete with an evil laugh and grin, while opting to exchange words for piercing stares at the judges.
Following his act, Simon was taken aback, remarking he had “never seen anything like it” – a statement that might hold some truth since Auzzy’s audition on America’s Got Talent (AGT) involved the daring feat of swallowing knives.
The performer, who boasts three Guinness World Records, doesn’t shy away from sharing on his Instagram that he has graced six different versions of the Got Talent series. His journey saw him reach the finale in Spain, where audiences witnessed him insert hooks into his eyelids, and he also showcased his talents on France’s iteration of the show.
However, viewers were quick to raise eyebrows over Simon’s reaction to Auzzy’s BGT stint. Fans flocked to the YouTube video of his performance, expressing their skepticism about Simon’s feigned unfamiliarity with the act.
“The funniest thing for me was Simon acting like he never saw this guy before, he was on Americas got talent 2 years ago and Simon was a judge,” one commenter pointed out.
Another chimed in: “Simon has become a good actor”. One particularly exasperated viewer elaborated: “Simon has done it many times, Piff the Magic Dragon, Tape Face, Wes P, Gonzo to name a few. The show is fake, in 2009 every contestant to perform last from the semi finals went through and in the final Paul Potts performed last and he won they got heat for it so changed it,”.
“Simon Brodkin proved this, not to mention that some of the winners are already established artists because they dont have to pay them if they’re giving them a bigger platform.”
Join theDaily Record’s WhatsApp community hereand get the latest news sent straight to your messages.